Inking mechanism for printing presses



7 April 7, 19;;1. w. F. HUCK 1,799,466

INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed June 30. 1928 as 4s:-

LIE/8 38 INVENTOR Arrv WILLIAM F'J-IUCK.

Patented Apr. 7, 1931 ems- STATES WILLIAM F. HUCK, or BROOKLYN, NEWYORK, ASSIGNOR TO B. HOE & co., nve., or?

mam

PATENT OFFICE NEW YORK, N. Y A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK INKING MECHANISMFOR PRINTING PBESSES Application filed June 30,1928. Serial No. 289,414.I v

The present invention relates to inking mechanism for printing pressesand particularly for high speed'rotary presses, printing on a continuousweb of paper. 7

' 6 In some ink distributing systems that are regularly-employed,,-the'ink is taken from a reservoir which may be what is commonly known as anink fountain, in whichcase the ink is transferred from a roller withinthe 10 fountain to an ink distributing cylinder by means of a ductorroller, which is caused'to make contact alternately with the fountainroller from which it receives ink, and then with the ink distributingcylinder on which it deposits the ink it previously received.

Other inkdistributing systems comprise a plurality of pumps which drawink from a reservoir and force it through suitable conduits to andthrough a'nink rail having orifices adjacent the periphery oftheink'distributing cylinder. An ink supply device with which pumps areemployed is used herein to illustrate the invention butit will beunderstood that the invention is also applicable to presses on whichother ink supply devices are used.

After the ink is deposited on the ink distributing cylinder it isusually distributed evenly over the surface of the cylinder by '30smaller diameter rollers covered with a suitable composition and runningin surface contact with the cylinder. These rollers are caused tovibrateor move back and forth endwise in timed relation to therevolution of p the cylinder, in order to properly distribute the ink.They must be held against the cylinder with considerable pressure andwhen the bearings are properly adjusted to produce the proper'pressureat the ends of the rollers 40 it has been found that owing to the smalldiameter of the rollers they are caused to bend and there is little orno pressure against the cylinder at a point midway of their length. 1The bending action of the rollers cramps the shafts in the bearings andis a factor that causes excessive wear of the roller sockets. Wear ofthese roller sockets on inking mechanisms as heretofore made is alsocaused by the excessive pressure on one side of the bearings'due to thefact thatbut one side of each ink roller is in contact with a cylinder.The invention herein disclosed provides an arrangement of distributingcylinders and ink rollers that obviates the difliculties menj tioned andconstitutes an ink distributing system giving the desired resultsthoughemploying a minimum number of moving parts. An object of theinvention is to provide an ink distributing system comprising inkdistributing cylinders and ink rollers in which, the rollers aresupported so there is no tendency'to'bend them axially and pressure ontheir bearings is minimized. I

Another object of the invention is to pro- M vide an eflicient inkdistributing system having a minimum number of moving parts.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an ink distributingsystem that is of generally improved construction, simple, du- W rable,inexpensive in construction, and practical, serviceable and eflicient inits use.

With the'foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combi- I nation andarrangement of parts, and in the details ofconstruction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that various changes in theprecise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made with- Iin the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings which show preferred embodiments of theinvention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section and partly broken awayshowing a por- '35 tion of a rotary web printing press withTone form-ofthe improved inking mechanism, as

viewed on the line 11 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a fragmentaryview showing an elevation takenat right anglesto Figure '90. 1 and illustrating a portion of the inking mechanism asviewed in the direction of arrow 2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of a modi- Y fied form of the inventionbeing in other respects similar to Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, 11 indicates a side frame of a printing pressin which an impression cylinder 12 and a form or plate cylinder 13 issupported in suitable bearings 0 so they may print on a web or sheet 14as it passes between them. Two similar side frames are used, one on eachside of the press, and various elements of an inking sys tem forsupplying ink to the plate cylinder are supported by the frames and willbe hereinafter described.

Halliwell Patent No. 1,644,723 dated October 11, 1927, shows an ink pumpwith con.- duits connecting it to an ink distributing rail mountedadjacent to an ink distributing cylinder. The form of ink pump shown inthe Halliwell patent is indicated in dotted lines at 15 and the ink railat16, the latter having a series of orifices arranged crosswise of thepress one of them being shown at 17.

A primary ink distributing cylinder 18 is supported in suitable bearingswith its surface adjacent to the orifices in the ink rail and receivesink therefrom.

Intermediate ink cylinders 19 and20 are supported in adjustable bearingblocks 21 and 22 and ink rollers 23 and 24having a suitable compositioncovering arejournaled in arms 25 and 26 so as to be in running con tactwith both the primary ink distributing cylinder and also theintermediate ink cylinder. Similarly ink rollers 27 and 28 are journaledin arms 29 and 30 and are'held in running contact with the intermediateink cylinders and a secondary ink distributing cylinder 31.

The form rollers 32 and 33 are suitably supported in bearings which areomitted from the drawing for clearness, and are held in running contactwith the secondary ink distributing cylinder and the printing platescarried on the plate cylinder.

The distributing cylinders are driven from any suitable source of powerand are con nected together by the usual gearing so they rotate at thesame speed. In the preferred construction, agear 34 is secured to theplate cylinder 13 and meshes with an idler 35. This idler meshes with agear 36 that is fastened to the shaft carrying the secondary inkdistributing cylinder 31. Gear 36 in turn meshes with another idler 37that meshes with a gear 38 fastened to the shaft carrying the primaryink distributing cylinder 18. The ratio of the gearing may be such thatthe cylinders are all driven at the same peripheral speed, or ifdesired, it maybe proportioned to drive them at different speeds; As theink rollers are held in contact with the cylinders they will of coursebe driven by friction.

From'the above it will be understood that ink ejected from the orifices17 in the ink rail, will be deposited on the primary ink distributingcylinder 18 from which a portion of it will be taken off by the inkroller 24 and deposited on the intermediate ink cylinder 20. From thereit will pass on to the ink roller 28 and then to the secondary inkdistributing cylinder 31.

Another portion of the ink deposited on the ink cylinder 18 will betaken oif by the ink roller 23 and deposited on the intermediate inkcylinder 19. From there it will pass on to the ink roller 27 and then tothe secondary ink distributing cylinder 31.

From the cylinder 31 the ink passes to the form rollers 32 and 33 whichdeposit it on the printing plates.

In order that the ink may be properly distributed it is customary togive an endwise or vibrating motion to certain of the ink inking systemherein disclosed, none of the ink rollers are vibrated and a very simplelever mechanism serves to vibrate the two ink distributing cylinders.

The shafts of the cylinders 18 and 31 have grooved collars 39 and 40fastened to them, which are engaged by rollers 41 and 42 that run in thegrooves. These rollers are rotatably mounted on opposed arms 43 and 44of a three armed lever pivoted in the bracket 45 which is secured to theframe 11. The third arm 46 of the lever projects forward from thebracket and is pivotally connected to the rod 47 which is given areciprocating motion by any suitable mechanism driven from the press orfrom a separate source of power.

The arms 25. 26, 29 and 30 which support the ink rollers have slottedends that engage with suitable pins 48 secured to the frame 11, andtheir opposite ends which are also slotted engage with the shaft of therollers 19 and 20. I

The bearing blocks 21 and 22 are fitted to slide between suitable guideways 49 and 50; and screws 51 having handwheels 52 and collars 53, passthrough clearance holes in the blocks 21 and 22 and are threaded intothe main frame 11, thus providing means for adjusting the position ofthe intermediate ink cylinders 19 and 20. It will be understood that bymoving the ink cylinders 19 and 20 toward each other the ink rollers 23,24, 27 and 28 will be pressed between thev ink cylinders 19 and 20 andthe ink distributing cylinders 18 and 31. It is thus possible to adjustthis pressure to a nicety and as the pressure on both sides of the inkrollers is equalized springing is. avoided and contact is obtained overthe entire length of the cylinders, thus insuring proper distribution ofthe ink.

In order to facilitate removal of the ink rollers, their bearings areprovided with hinged caps 54 secured by lock nuts 55.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figure 2, the bearingsfor the ink rollers 23 and 27 are carried in arms 56 and 57 pivotedrespectively on studs 58 and 59 secured to the frame 11. It will beunderstood that similar arms are provided to sup port ink rollerscorresponding to those indicated at 24: and 28 in Figure 1, and thatduplicate arms are provided to support the shafts on the other ends ofthe rollers. With this arrangement the ink rollers are supported betweenthe ink cylinders so as to avoid axial bending strains and adjustment ofcontact pressure is efiected in the same manner as in the constructionshown in Figure 1.

It will be seen that the constructions illustrated and'describedconstitute an ink distributing system that insures a proper distributionof ink over the entire surface of the printing plates, and that onlysimple mechanism is employed having but few moving parts.

What I claim is:

1. In an ink distributing system for a printing press, ink cylindershaving fixed bearings, ink cylinders having adjustably mounted bearings,and ink rollers held in alignment between certain of the ink cylindersand having movable supports.

2. In an ink distributing system for a printing press, a primary inkdistributing cylinder, an ink roller in operating engagement therewith,an intermediate ink cylinder in operating engagement with the inkroller, a second ink roller in operating engagement with theintermediate ink cylinder, and a secondary ink distributing cylinder inengagement with the second ink roller, said cylinders and saidrollers'being so located with respect to each other that adjustment ofthe intermediate ink cylinder varies the pressure between the cylindersand the rollers.

3. In an ink distributing system for a printing press, a primary inkdistributing cylinder, an ink roller in operating engagement therewith,an intermediate ink cylinder in operating engagement with the inkroller, a second ink roller in operating engagement with theintermediate ink cylinder, and a secondary ink distributing cylinder inengagement with the second ink roller, said cylinders and said rollersbeing so located with respect to each other that the cylinders contactalong approximately opposite sides of said rollers.

4. In an ink distributing system for a printing press, an ink cylinderhaving fixed bearings, a second ink cylinder having adjustably mountedbearings, an ink roller rotatably supported in yieldable bearings andbetween the first and second ink cylinders, and means for adjusting theadjustably mounted bearings.

5. In an ink distributing system for a printing press, first and secondink distributing cylinders having fixed bearings, a third inkdistributing cylinder'h'aving adjustably mounted bearings, a first inkroller supported on yieldable bearings between the first and thirdcylinders, a second ink roller supported on yieldable bearings betweenthe second and third cylinders, and means for ad usting the bearings forthe third cylinder, and thereby er supported on' yieldable bearingsbetween;

the primary ink cylinder and the intermediate cylinder, another inkroller supported on yieldable bearings between the intermediate cylinderand the secondary ink'cylinder, and means for adjusting the bearings:

of the intermediate cylinder and thereby adj usting the pressure exertedon the ink rollers.

7. In an ink distributing system for a printing press, a primary inkdistributing cylinder supported in fixed 'bea-rings, an in-' termediateink cylinder supported in adjustably mounted bearings, a secondary inkdistributing cylinder supported in fixed bearings, ink rollers onyieldably supported bearings, between the primary cylinder and theintermediate cylinder, ink rollers on yieldably supported bearings,between the intermediate cylinder and the secondary cylinder, and meansfor adjusting the bearings of the intermediate cylinder and therebyadjusting the pressure on the ink rollers.

8. In an ink distributing system for a printing press, a primary inkdistributing cylinder, ink rollers in operating engagement therewith,intermediate ink cylinders:

in operating engagement with the said ink rollers and each having itsaxis in a plane substantially common to the axis of the primary inkcylinder and the axis of one of the ink rollers, other ink rollers inoperating engagement with the intermediate cylinder, a secondary inkdistributing cylinder in operating engagement with said other inkrollers and having its axis at the intersection of plan-es, oneof whichis substantially common to the axis of one of said other rollers and theaxis of one of the intermediate cylinders, and the other of which issubstantially com mon to the axis of the other of said other rollers andthe axis of the other intermediate supported in adjustably mountedbearings with its axis parallel to the axes of the ink distributingcylinders but relatively distant from the plane common to the axes ofthe primary and secondary cylinders, ink rollers operatively interposedbetween the primary cylinder and the intermediate cylinder, and

between the intermediate cylinder and the secondary cylinder, and meansfor adjusting the bearings of the intermediate cylinder to 10 regulatethe pressure on the rollers.

10". In an ink distributing system for a printing press, a primary inkdistributing cylinder supported in fixed bearings, a secondary inkdistributing cylinder supported 5 in fixed bearings and spaced apartfrom the primary cylinder, intermediate ink cylinders supported inadjustably mounted bearings, each having its axis parallel to the axesof the ink distributing cylinders, but relatively g distant from, and onopposite sides of the plane common to the axes of the primary cylinderand secondary cylinder, ink rollers operatively interposed between theprimary cylinder and the intermediate cylinders and between theintermediate cylinders and the secondary cylinder, and means foradjusting the bearings of the intermediate cylinders to regulate thepressure on the rollers.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature.

:0 WILLIAM F. HUGK.

